Method for producing a composite rolling bearing

ABSTRACT

A method for producing a composite rolling bearing ( 1 ) having a bearing flange ( 3 ) and at least one rolling bearing ( 4, 5 ) held on the bearing flange ( 3 ) by an inner ring ( 6, 7 ). In order to be able to fix the inner ring ( 7 ) on the bearing flange ( 3 ) with axial preloading without expansion, the inner ring ( 7 ) is acted upon by a holding-down device ( 23 ) that radially holds down the inner ring ( 7 ) and is preloaded against the inner ring ( 7 ) by a regulated axial force (F), and, by way of an advancing cone ( 21 ) introduced radially on the inside axially into the bearing flange ( 3 ), material ( 11 ) present on the bearing flange ( 3 ) is displaced radially towards the outside into a recessed formation ( 15, 16 ) in the inner ring ( 7 ).

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/237,271, filed Feb. 5, 2014 which is a national phase application of PCT/EP2012/062185 filed Jun. 25, 2012, which claims the benefit of German Patent Application DE 10 2011 080 738.1, filed Aug. 10, 2011, all three applications being hereby incorporated by reference herein.

A method for producing a composite rolling bearing having a bearing flange and at least one rolling bearing held on the bearing flange by means of an inner ring.

BACKGROUND

Composite rolling bearings of the type in question are used as wheel bearings in motor vehicles, for example, wherein the bearing flange accommodates at least one, preferably two, rolling bearings arranged axially adjacent to one another and having inner rings. In this arrangement, the inner rings are mounted on the bearing flange under an axial preload. DE 10 2008 064 155 A1 discloses a rotary forming method for producing a riveting collar on the bearing flange, in which a riveting collar is obtained from a flange part extending axially along the axis of rotation of the rolling bearings by forming the end face radially. In this process, rollers of a feed cone, which are set at an angle relative to the axis of rotation, form the riveting collar. Compared with conventional riveting involving a rolling action, there is a risk, admittedly reduced but still present, that the adjacent inner ring will be expanded. In the case of inner rings of sufficiently stable design, the overall height disadvantageously requires an increased installation space. The radial forming entails poor control over the axial preloading of the inner ring on the bearing flange. Moreover, the large angles of incidence of the rollers, in particular, lead to relatively high tool wear in the case of high forming forces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a composite rolling bearing in which expansion of the inner ring is avoided and the setting of the axial preload of the inner rings or of the inner ring can be set precisely.

The present invention provides a method for producing a composite rolling bearing having a bearing flange and at least one rolling bearing held on the bearing flange by means of an inner ring, wherein the inner ring is acted upon by means of a holding-down means that radially holds down the inner ring and is preloaded against the inner ring by a controlled axial force, and, by way of a feed cone introduced radially on the inside axially into the bearing flange, reserve material on the bearing flange is displaced radially outward into a recessed formation in the inner ring.

According to the method proposed, in contrast to the riveting method, material of the bearing flange is not reshaped radially outward but is displaced radially outward in order to produce an axial preload and axial fixing of the single or outer inner ring closer to the end of the bearing flange, wherein the holding-down means stabilizes the inner ring radially toward the outside and can form an axial stop for the displaced material. Here, an axial stop is formed for the inner ring, with the inner ring being axially preloaded by the holding-down means during the material displacement process by the latter being acted upon by a controlled axial force. In this way, displacement or deformation of the inner ring is not possible. At the same time, the axial fixing of the inner ring is accomplished with a constant, adjustable preload. Stabilizing the inner ring by means of the holding-down means during the process enables the inner ring to be given smaller dimensions and, overall, enables the composite rolling bearing to be designed with a smaller installation space and a lower weight since these definitive variables need no longer be designed according to the method but according to requirements during operation.

According to an advantageous method, the reserve material is displaced at least partially by the feed cone or by rollers mounted on the feed cone. During this process, the feed cone is rotated and displaced axially with a predetermined feed, wherein the material overhanging radially inward relative to the inner circumference of the bearing flange is displaced radially outward, and a corresponding quantity of material is formed on the outer circumference of the bearing flange and is displaced into radially opposite recessed formations on the inner ring. During this process, the holding-down means, like the bearing flange, is supported in such a way that it does not rotate.

In an advantageous embodiment, for example, a material overhang formed radially on the inside on one end of the bearing flange as reserve material can be displaced into a chamfer formed radially on the inside as a recessed formation on one end of the inner ring. During this process, the holding-down means, which is extended radially inward in a corresponding manner, can act as an end-located limiting wall for the displaced material, and the inner ring and the displaced material can be flush at the end. As an alternative, an annular collar of the bearing flange can be formed by setting back the wall provided on the holding-down means axially in a corresponding manner, said annular collar being extended axially relative to the end of the inner ring.

The wall can furthermore be provided as a die, e.g. in the form of end toothing, with the result that, given appropriate displacement of material in the end region of the bearing flange, end toothing is formed in the end of the bearing flange, resulting, in the case where the composite rolling bearing is designed as a wheel bearing with a corresponding profiling of a drive shaft, in joining of the bearing flange to the drive shaft for conjoint rotation, requiring only axial clamping of the composite assembly. As an alternative, end toothing of this kind can be introduced into the bearing flange in advance, in which case displacement of material is not envisaged in the region of the end of the bearing flange. As an alternative, the end toothing can be introduced in advance and displacement of material on the end of the bearing flange can be envisaged if the end toothing is protected by a complementarily shaped wall of the holding-down means.

As an alternative or in addition, a material overhang formed radially toward the inside can be provided as reserve material on the inner circumference of the bearing flange at an axial distance from the end of the latter, said material being displaced into a recessed formation at an axial distance from one end of the inner ring. The recessed formation can be an annular groove or the like, for example.

In order to achieve advantageous centering of the holding-down means on the inner ring and good removal thereof after the method has been carried out, the holding-down means can be centered on a chamfer provided radially on the outside of the at least one inner ring, wherein the holding-down means is of an appropriately conical design in this region.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the holding-down means can fit over the inner ring radially on the inside and radially on the outside.

The formation of the material overhangs of reserve material makes it possible to keep the forming forces low. In this context, the forming forces can be modified through the forming angle of the rollers on the feed cone. For example, the feed and slope of the rollers can be set in accordance with a radial variation in an axial width of the reserve material. In this case, the axes of rotation of the rollers can be 10° to 20° to the axis of rotation of the inner ring, wherein the rollers can form on the inner circumference a recessed formation region which slopes relative to the substantially cylindrical inner surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail by means of the illustrative embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, where:

FIG. 1 shows an unprocessed form of a composite rolling bearing in partial section,

FIG. 2 shows the unprocessed form of FIG. 1 with the forming tool applied, in partial section,

FIG. 3 shows the composite rolling bearing in the finished state in partial section,

FIG. 4 shows a composite rolling bearing modified as compared with the composite rolling bearing in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the unprocessed form, having end toothing to be formed, in partial section,

FIG. 5 shows a partial section of the composite rolling bearing in FIG. 4 in the finished state,

FIG. 6 shows an unprocessed form of a composite rolling bearing with end toothing introduced even before the process of material displacement, in partial section,

FIG. 7 shows an unprocessed form of a composite rolling bearing with the holding-down means fitted over the inner ring radially on the inside and outside, in partial section,

FIG. 8 shows an unprocessed form of a composite rolling bearing with a material overhang stepped radially toward the outside from the end of the bearing flange, in partial section,

FIG. 9 shows an unprocessed form of a composite rolling bearing with material overhangs formed relative to the axis of rotation of the inner ring by steeply angled rollers of the feed cone, in partial section,

FIG. 10 shows an unprocessed form of a composite rolling bearing with a wall of the holding-down means which is set back axially relative to an end of the inner ring, in partial section,

and

FIG. 11 shows a partial section of an unprocessed form of a composite rolling bearing having holding-down means centered conically on the inner ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a partial section through the composite rolling bearing 1 in unprocessed form arranged around the axis 2 of rotation. The bearing flange 3 accommodates two rolling bearings 4, 5, which are arranged axially adjacent to one another and the inner rings 6, 7 of which are mounted without play, by means of an interference fit, against the axial stop 9, on the flange part 8 arranged along and around the axis 2 of rotation.

The reserve material 11 in the form of the material overhangs 12, 13 is extended out of the cylindrical surface 10 radially inward and in a ring over the circumference of the inner circumference of the bearing flange 3. At the end 14 of the bearing flange 3, material overhang 12 has a substantially wedge shaped cross section which widens radially in the direction of the end 14. Material overhang 13 is at an axial distance from the end 14 in the direction of the axial stop 9.

Recessed formations 15, 16 complementary to the material overhangs 12, 13 are provided in the inner ring 7, which are off-tool features or are machined into the inner ring 7 subsequently. The ends 14, 17 of the bearing flange 3 and of the inner ring 7 are formed axially flush, with the result that recessed formation 15 is formed as an outward-opening chamfer 18. Recessed formation 16 is designed as an annular groove 19.

FIG. 2 shows the unprocessed form of the composite rolling bearing 1 with the roll-forming tool 20 (shown schematically) applied at the beginning of the roll-forming process, said tool being formed by the feed cone 21 with the rollers 22, such as forming rollers, mounted rotatably thereon, the holding-down means 23 and the corresponding bearing arrangements (not shown) for the composite rolling bearing 1, the feed cone 21 and the holding-down means 23 as well as driving and control devices thereof

At the beginning of the roll-forming process, the holding-down means 23 is applied to the ends 14, 17 of the bearing flange 3 and of the inner ring 7, with a selected axial force F, which is controlled during the roll-forming process, being input, thus enabling a predetermined preload on the inner rings 6, 7 relative to the axial stop 9 of the bearing flange 3 to be set.

The holding-down means 23 fits around the outer circumference 24 of the inner ring 7 by means of the shoulder 25, which is extended axially relative to the end 17 and which can be in the form of a ring or of a ring segment, and thus fixes the inner ring 7 radially on the outer circumference 26 of the flange part 8, preventing the latter from undergoing any radial expansion in the subsequent roll-forming process.

During the roll-forming process, the feed cone 21 with the rollers 22 mounted thereon in an axially fixed manner which allows rotation about the axis 27 of rotation is moved axially, as a result of which the reserve material in the form of the material overhangs 12, 13 is rolled radially inward as the rollers 22 rotate, beginning with material overhang 12.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the rolled-in material in the final state of the roll-forming process has displaced material 28, 28 a displaced material from the flange part 8 into the recessed formations 15, 16 in the finished composite rolling bearing 1. In this case, material from the flange part 8 is displaced into the recessed formations 15, 16, with the result that, with a preload being applied to the holding-down means 23, the inner rings 6, 7 are fixed axially on the bearing flange 3 with a constant preload against the axial stop 9.

After the roll-forming process, the surface 10 of the inner circumference of the bearing flange is substantially cylindrical, and the feed cone 21 and the holding-down means 23 are moved back.

FIG. 4 shows a variant of a composite rolling bearing 1 a in unprocessed form with a roll-forming tool 20 a adapted thereto. Here, the inner ring 7 a is extended axially relative to the flange part 8 a of the bearing flange 3 a. The material overhang 12 a is arranged at the end 14 a of the flange part 8 a, being extended radially inward. The inner ring 7 a has a corresponding recessed formation 15 a. The holding-down means 23 a is designed as a die 30 in the form of axial toothing on its wall 29 facing the end 14 a.

At the beginning of the roll-forming process, the holding-down means 23 a is subjected to the axial force F, and the feed cone 21 a is moved axially, rotating the rollers 22 a. As a result, the material overhang 12 a is displaced radially outward, as a result of which displaced material flows out of the flange part 8 a into the recessed formation 15 a on the inner ring 7 a. During this process, end toothing is formed on the end 14 a by the die 30.

FIG. 5 shows the finished composite rolling bearing 1 a of FIG. 4 with end toothing 31, which has been formed in the flange part 8 a in relation to the ends 14 a and 17 a of the flange part 8 a and of the inner ring 7 a respectively and can form a connection for conjoint rotation with another component, e.g. a drive shaft in the case of a wheel bearing.

FIG. 6 shows another variant of a composite rolling bearing 1 b having end toothing 31 a already provided before the roll-forming process. Consequently, only the material overhang 13 b at an axial distance from the end 14 b on the flange part 8 b of the bearing flange 3 b and a correspondingly oppositely situated recessed formation 16 b on the inner ring 7 b are provided.

FIG. 7 shows a variant in the form of the composite rolling bearing 1 c, over the inner ring 7 c of which the holding-down means 23 c fits from both sides, i.e. radially on the inside and radially on the outside. Here, the wall 29 c of the holding-down means 23 c is provided axially with the recess 32 opposite the end 17 c of the inner ring 7 c, with the result that, after the displacement of the material overhang 12 c, the recessed formation 15 c is filled with displaced material in such a way that the inner ring 7 c forms the overhang 33 axially relative to the flange part 8 c of the bearing flange 3 c.

FIG. 8 shows a variant in the form of the composite rolling bearing 1 d in which the material overhangs 12 d, 13 d of the flange part 8 d of the bearing flange 3 d merge into one another in a stepped manner. The recessed formations 15 d, 16 d are provided radially opposite in a complementary manner on the inner ring 7 d.

Whereas the rollers 22 in the preceding figures displace the material overhangs radially outward substantially perpendicularly to the axis 2 of rotation (FIG. 1), a variant of a roll-forming tool 20 d for displacing the material overhangs 12 d, 13 d of the flange part 8 d of the composite rolling bearing 1 d of FIG. 8 is shown in FIG. 9. The axes 27 d of rotation ring 1 d of FIG. 8 is shown. The axes 27 d of rotation of the of the rollers 22 d accommodated in the feed cone 21 d have a large angle α of inclination, e.g. between 15° and 25°, relative to the axis 2 of rotation of the composite rolling bearing 1 d, leading to the rollers 22 d displacing the material overhangs 12 d, 13 d obliquely, as a result of which the expenditure of force for displacement of material is lower. In the final state of the roll-forming process, a displacement surface inclined relative to the surface 10 d of the flange part 8 d is provided, forming an undercut which can be used for other purposes and on which other components can be snapped or hooked.

FIG. 10 shows a variant in the form of a composite rolling bearing 1 e having ends 14 e, 17 e of the flange part 8 e of the bearing flange 3 e and of the inner ring 7 e, respectively, which are axially spaced apart, wherein the flange part 8 e is extended axially relative to the inner ring 7 e. Accordingly, the holding-down means 23 e is provided with an axially stepped wall 29 e to form the recessed formation 15 e and to subject the inner ring 7 e to the axial force F.

FIG. 11 shows a variant in the form of the composite rolling bearing if in which the inner ring has the centering chamfer 34 on the outer circumference 24 f thereof for centering the holding-down means 23 f. Accordingly, the holding-down means has the centering cone 35.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

-   1 composite rolling bearing -   1 a composite rolling bearing -   1 b composite rolling bearing -   1 c composite rolling bearing -   1 d composite rolling bearing -   1 e composite rolling bearing -   1 f composite rolling bearing -   2 axis of rotation -   3 bearing flange -   3 a bearing flange -   3 b bearing flange -   3 c bearing flange -   3 d bearing flange -   3 e bearing flange -   4 rolling bearing -   5 rolling bearing -   6 inner ring -   7 inner ring -   7 a inner ring -   7 b inner ring -   7 c inner ring -   7 d inner ring -   7 e inner ring -   7 f inner ring -   8 flange part -   8 a flange part -   8 b flange part -   8 c flange part -   8 d flange part -   8 e flange part -   9 axial stop -   10 surface -   10 d surface -   11 reserve material -   12 material overhang -   12 a material overhang -   12 c material overhang -   12 d material overhang -   13 material overhang -   13 b material overhang -   13 d material overhang -   14 end -   14 a end -   14 b end -   14 e end -   15 recessed formation -   15 a recessed formation -   15 c recessed formation -   15 d recessed formation -   15 e recessed formation -   16 recessed formation -   16 b recessed formation -   16 d recessed formation -   17 end -   17 a end -   17 c end -   17 e end -   18 chamfer -   19 annular groove -   20 roll-forming tool -   20 a roll-forming tool -   20 d roll-forming tool -   21 feed cone -   21 a feed cone -   21 d feed cone -   22 roller -   22 a roller -   22 d roller -   23 holding-down means -   23 a holding-down means -   23 c holding-down means -   23 e holding-down means -   23 f holding-down means -   24 outer circumference -   24 f outer circumference -   25 shoulder -   26 outer circumference -   27 axis of rotation -   27 d axis of rotation -   28 displaced material -   28 a displaced material -   29 wall -   29 c wall -   29 e wall -   30 die -   31 end toothing -   31 a end toothing -   32 recess -   33 overhang -   34 centering chamfer -   35 centering cone -   F axial force -   α angle of inclination 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for producing a composite rolling bearing having a bearing flange and at least one rolling bearing held on the bearing flange by an inner ring, the method comprising: providing the inner ring on a portion of the bearing flange; acting on the inner ring by a holding-down device radially holding down the inner ring and preloaded against the inner ring by a controlled axial force; and displacing, by way of a feed cone introduced radially on an inside of the bearing flange axially into the bearing flange, a reserve material at the portion of the bearing flange radially outwardly into a recessed formation in the inner ring, the portion of the bearing flange including an outermost inner diameter and the reserve material protruding radially inward from the outermost inner diameter before the displacing, the inner ring including an innermost inner diameter and being offset radially outward from the innermost inner diameter at the recessed formation before the displacing.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the reserve material is displaced at least partially by rollers arranged rotatably on the feed cone.
 3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein an angle of inclination between an axis of rotation of the rollers of the feed cone and an axis of rotation of the composite rolling bearing is set in accordance with a radial variation in an axial width of the reserve material.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the holding-down device is centered on a centering chamfer provided radially on an outside of the inner ring.
 5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the reserve material includes a material overhang formed radially on the inside of the bearing flange on one end of the bearing flange, the recessed formation being a chamfer radially on an inside of the inner ring on one end of the inner ring, the material overhang being displaced into the chamfer.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the reserve material includes a material overhang formed radially on the inside of the bearing flange at an axial distance from one end of the bearing flange, the recessed formation being at an axial distance from one end of the inner ring, the material overhang being displaced into the recessed formation.
 7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the holding-down device fits over the inner ring radially on an inside of the inner ring and radially on an outside of the inner ring.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein an annular collar is formed at an end of the bearing flange at an axial distance from an end of the inner ring.
 9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein end toothing is introduced into the annular collar.
 10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a radially extending wall of the holding-down device and the recessed formation delimit a space receiving the reserve material during the displacing. 